Analysis of the treatment of 12 consecutive cases of brain abscess

1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zacharias Kapsalakis ◽  
Helen C. Askitopoulou ◽  
Athanasios Gregoriades
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Brain Abscess ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Simultaneous Treatment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brain Scans ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Focus Of Infection ◽  
Symptoms And Signs ◽  
Fine Print

✓ An analysis of 12 consecutive cases of brain abscess is reported. In nine patients a distant focus of infection was identified in the middle ear, the cranial sinuses, the lungs, the pleura, the tonsils, or the skull. The most frequent early symptoms and signs were headache, vomiting, papilledema, focal neurological abnormalities, and pyrexia. Angiography, electroencephalography, and brain scans were abnormal in all cases in which they were obtained. Therapy was based on early diagnosis with accurate location, aspiration or excision of the abscess, use of chloramphenicol instead of penicillin, use of steroids, the accomplishment of simultaneous treatment of the primary source of infection, and reevaluation of the patient some time after discharge. The mortality rate was 8% and the morbidity 8%; the six patients with postoperative epilepsy have returned to normal life.

Primary cerebellar nocardiosis

1979 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
George W. Tyson ◽  
Joseph E. Welsh ◽  
Albert B. Butler ◽  
John A. Jane ◽  
H. Richard Winn
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Therapy ◽  
Fatal Disease ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brain Scans ◽  
Focus Of Infection ◽  
Surgical Cure ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Space Occupying Lesion ◽  
Fine Print

✓ The authors describe two cases of primary cerebellar nocardiosis. Confinement of Nocardia abscesses to a localized, accessible portion of the central nervous system should favor surgical cure of this aggressive and often fatal disease. In our two cases multilocularity, tenuous encapsulation, and proximity to the brain stem prevented complete primary excision. Nevertheless, the infections were effectively treated by intensive postoperative antibiotic therapy and, in one case, a second operation to excise the residual abscess. The need for the latter was suggested by the results of sequential computerized tomographic brain scans that were used to monitor the response to antibiotic therapy. In the absence of any apparent extracranial focus of infection and any overt condition that might impair immunological competence, nocardiosis is likely to be omitted from the preoperative differential diagnosis of a posterior fossa space-occupying lesion.

Surgical experiences with giant intracranial aneurysms

1984 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 1009-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay Symon ◽  
Janos Vajda
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Intracranial Aneurysms ◽  
Visual Loss ◽  
Considerable Improvement ◽  
Brain Circulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Space Occupying Lesion ◽  
Fine Print

✓ A series of 35 patients with 36 giant aneurysms is presented. Thirteen patients presented following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and 22 with evidence of a space-occupying lesion without recent SAH. The preferred technique of temporary trapping of the aneurysm, evacuation of the contained thrombus, and occlusion of the neck by a suitable clip is described. The danger of attempted ligation in atheromatous vessels is stressed. Intraoperatively, blood pressure was adjusted to keep the general brain circulation within autoregulatory limits. Direct occlusion of the aneurysm was possible in over 80% of the cases. The mortality rate was 8% in 36 operations. Six percent of patients had a poor result. Considerable improvement in visual loss was evident in six of seven patients in whom this was a presenting feature, and in four of seven with disturbed eye movements.

Direct percutaneous cerebral angiography in neurosurgical practice

1980 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry Bauer ◽  
Jose Luis Salazar ◽  
Oscar Sugar ◽  
Ronald P. Pawl
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disease ◽  
Cerebral Angiography ◽  
Complication Rate ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Sixth Decade ◽  
Symptoms And Signs ◽  
Fine Print

✓ A retrospective analysis of 1171 consecutive percutaneous retrograde brachial and carotid cerebral angiograms was performed on 635 patients, 50.7% of whom were in the sixth decade or older. Symptoms and signs of cerebrovascular disease were the most frequently investigated and diagnosed, accounting for 46.7% of all the angiograms. Despite this relatively high-risk population, we have found direct percutaneous cerebral angiography to have a very low risk. The pros and cons of direct percutaneous versus transfemoral cerebral angiography are discussed. The literature of the previous 10 years is reviewed, and the complication rate of these two techniques is compared.

The risk of rebleeding from ruptured intracranial aneurysms

1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarl Rosenørn ◽  
Vagn Eskesen ◽  
Kaare Schmidt ◽  
Frits Rønde
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Life Table ◽  
Intracranial Aneurysms ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Neurosurgical Department ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Life Table Method ◽  
Daily Rate ◽  
Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms ◽  
Fine Print

✓ In the 5-year period from 1978 to 1983, 1076 patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms were admitted to the six neurosurgical departments in Denmark and were entered in a prospective consecutive study conducted by the Danish Aneurysm Study Group. The patients were followed with 3-month and 2-year examinations or to death. A total of 133 patients suffered at least one rebleed after their initial hemorrhage during their first stay in the neurosurgical department; these patients had a mortality rate of 80% compared to 41 % for patients without a rebleed (p < 0.0001). During the first 2 weeks after the initial insult, 102 rebleeds were registered. The daily rate of rebleeds during these 2 weeks, calculated using a life-table method, varied from 0.2% to 2.1%. The rebleed rate during the first 24 hours (Day 0) was 0.8%, and the maximum risk of rebleeding was observed between Day 4 and Day 9. Significantly fewer rebleeds were reported in patients with good clinical grades (Grades 1 to 3, Hunt Grades I and II) compared to those with poor clinical grades (Grades 4 to 9, Hunt Grades III to V: p < 0.001).

Endoscopic surgery versus medical treatment for spontaneous intracerebral hematoma: a randomized study

1989 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 530-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludwig M. Auer ◽  
Wolfgang Deinsberger ◽  
Kurt Niederkorn ◽  
Günther Gell ◽  
Reinhold Kleinert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Medical Treatment ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Randomized Study ◽  
Treated Group ◽  
Surgical Patients ◽  
Lower Mortality ◽  
Intracerebral Hematoma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fine Print

✓ A controlled randomized study of endoscopic evacuation versus medical treatment was performed in 100 patients with spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral (subcortical, putaminal, and thalamic) hematomas. Patients with aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, brain tumors, or head injuries were excluded. Criteria for inclusion were as follows: patients' age between 30 and 80 years; a hematoma volume of more than 10 cu cm; the presence of neurological or consciousness impairment; the appropriateness of surgery from a medical and anesthesiological point of view; and the initiation of treatment within 48 hours after hemorrhage. The criteria of randomization were the location, size, and side of the hematoma as well as the patient's age, state of consciousness, and history of hypertension. Evaluation of outcome was performed 6 months after hemorrhage. Surgical patients with subcortical hematomas showed a significantly lower mortality rate (30%) than their medically treated counterparts (70%, p < 0.05). Moreover, 40% of these patients had a good outcome with no or only a minimal deficit versus 25% in the medically treated group; the difference was statistically significant for operated patients with no postoperative deficit (p < 0.01). Surgical patients with hematomas smaller than 50 cu cm made a significantly better functional recovery than did patients of the medically treated group, but had a comparable mortality rate. By contrast, patients with larger hematomas showed significantly lower mortality rates after operation but had no better functional recovery than the medically treated group. This effect from surgery was limited to patients in a preoperatively alert or somnolent state; stuporous or comatose patients had no better outcome after surgery. The outcome of surgical patients with putaminal or thalamic hemorrhage was no better than for those with medical treatment; however, there was a trend toward better quality of survival and chance of survival in the operated group.

The outcome of severe closed head injury

1991 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S28-S36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence F. Marshall ◽  
Theresa Gautille ◽  
Melville R. Klauber ◽  
Howard M. Eisenberg ◽  
John A. Jane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Head Injury ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Severe Head Injury ◽  
Closed Head Injury ◽  
Data Bank ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Severity Of Injury ◽  
Gcs Score ◽  
Fine Print ◽  
Overall Mortality

✓ The outcome of severe head injury was prospectively studied in patients enrolled in the Traumatic Coma Data Bank (TCDB) during the 45-month period from January 1, 1984, through September 30, 1987. Data were collected on 1030 consecutive patients admitted with severe head injury (defined as a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 8 or less following nonsurgical resuscitation). Of these, 284 either were brain-dead on admission or had a gunshot wound to the brain. Patients in these two groups were excluded, leaving 746 patients available for this analysis. The overall mortality rate for the 746 patients was 36%, determined at 6 months postinjury. As expected, the mortality rate progressively decreased from 76% in patients with a postresuscitation GCS score of 3 to approximately 18% for patients with a GCS score of 6, 7, or 8. Among the patients with nonsurgical lesions (overall mortality rate, 31%), the mortality rate was higher in those having an increased likelihood of elevated intracranial pressure as assessed by a new classification of head injury based on the computerized tomography findings. In the 276 patients undergoing craniotomy, the mortality rate was 39%. Half of the patients with acute subdural hematomas died — a substantial improvement over results in previous reports. Outcome differences between the four TCDB centers were small and were, in part, explicable by differences in patient age and the type and severity of injury. This study describes head injury outcome in four selected head-injury centers. It indicates that a mortality rate of approximately 35% is to be expected in such patients admitted to experienced neurosurgical units.

Cerebral abscesses in early infancy

1970 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold J. Hoffman ◽  
E. Bruce Hendrick ◽  
James L. Hiscox
Keyword(s):  
Blood Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
White Blood Cell Count ◽  
White Blood Cell ◽  
Early Infancy ◽  
Blood Cell Count ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Source Of Infection ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Experience with large cerebral abscesses in six newborn or very young infants is the basis for this report and discussion. Hydrocephalus, an afebrile state, and an elevated white blood cell count were characteristic. Diagnosis by aspiration was usually fortuitous in the process of subdural tap or ventriculography. Treatment by multiple aspirations was reasonably successful, but ultimate excision of the shrunken abscess may be wise. In only one case was the source of infection obvious.

Mortality rates after subarachnoid hemorrhage: variations according to hospital case volume in 18 states

2003 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
DeWitte T. Cross ◽  
David L. Tirschwell ◽  
Mary Ann Clark ◽  
Dan Tuden ◽  
Colin P. Derdeyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Hospital Volume ◽  
High Volume ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Case Volume ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospital Case ◽  
Fine Print

Object. The goal of this study was to determine whether a hospital's volume of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) cases affects mortality rates in patients with SAH. For certain serious illnesses and surgical procedures, outcome has been associated with hospital case volume. Subarachnoid hemorrhage, usually resulting from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, yields a high mortality rate. There has been no multistate study of a diverse set of hospitals to determine whether in-hospital mortality rates are influenced by hospital volume of SAH cases. Methods. The authors conducted an analysis of a retrospective, administrative database of 16,399 hospitalizations for SAH (9290 admitted through emergency departments). These hospitalizations were from acute-care hospitals in 18 states representing 58% of the US population. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the case volume—mortality rate relationship. The authors used patient age, sex, Medicaid status, hospital region, data source year, hospital case volume quartile, and a comorbidity index in multivariate generalized estimating equations to model the relationship between hospital volume and mortality rates after SAH. Patients with SAH who were treated in hospitals in which low volumes of patients with SAH are admitted through the emergency department had 1.4 times the odds of dying in the hospital (95% confidence interval 1.2–1.6) as patients admitted to high-volume hospitals after controlling for patient age, sex, Medicaid status, hospital region, database year, and comorbid conditions. Conclusions. Patients with a diagnosis of SAH on their discharge records who initially presented through the emergency department of a hospital with a high volume of SAH cases had significantly lower mortality rates. Concentrating care for this disease in high-volume SAH treatment centers may improve overall survival.

Production of experimental brain abscess in the rat

1979 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 685-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Richard Winn ◽  
Michael Mendes ◽  
Paul Moore ◽  
Clarabelle Wheeler ◽  
George Rodeheaver
Keyword(s):  
Brain Abscess ◽  
Clinical Situation ◽  
Small Animals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Slow Infusion ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Number Of Bacteria ◽  
Experimental Brain Abscess ◽  
Fine Print

✓ Experimental evaluation of brain abscess has been inhibited by the lack of a simple and reproducible model in small animals. A stereotaxic headholder and slow infusion of 1 µl of saline, containing a known number of bacteria, were used to produce brain abscess consistently in the rat. The natural history of the brain abscess produced by this technique closely simulated that found in the human clinical situation.

Effect of intracranial pressure monitoring and aggressive treatment on mortality in severe head injury

1982 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 498-503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Saul ◽  
Thomas B. Ducker
Keyword(s):  
Head Injury ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Severe Head Injury ◽  
Aggressive Treatment ◽  
Icp Monitoring ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Standardized Protocol ◽  
Previous Series ◽  
Fine Print ◽  
Overall Mortality

✓ During 1977–1978, 127 patients with severe head injury were admitted and underwent intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. All patients had Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 7 or less. All received identical initial treatment according to a standardized protocol. The patients' average age was 29 years; 60% had multiple trauma, and 35% needed emergency intracranial operations. Treatment for elevations of ICP was begun when ICP rose to 20 to 25 mm Hg, and included mannitol therapy and drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) when possible. Forty-three patients (34%) had ICP greater than or equal to 25 mm Hg; of these, 36 (84%) died. The mortality rate of the entire group was 46%. During 1979–1980, 106 patients with severe head injury were admitted and underwent ICP monitoring. Their average age was 29 years; 51% had multiple trauma, and 31% underwent emergency intracranial surgery. All patients received the same standardized protocol as the previous series, with the exception of the treatment of ICP. In this present series: if ICP was 15 mm Hg or less (normal ICP), patients were continued on hyperventilation, steroids, and intensive care; if ICP was 16 to 24 mm Hg, mannitol was administered and CSF was drained; if ICP was 25 mm Hg or greater, the patients were randomized into a controlled barbiturate therapy study. Twenty-six patients (25%) had ICP's of 25 mm Hg or greater, compared to 34% in the previous series (p < 0.05), and 18 of these 26 patients (69%) died. The overall mortality for this current series was 28% compared to 46% in the previous series (p < 0.0005). This study reconfirms the high mortality rate if ICP is 25 mm Hg or greater; however, the data also document that early aggressive treatment based on ICP monitoring significantly lessens the incidence of ICP of 25 mm Hg or greater and reduces the overall mortality rate of severe head injury.

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